singleton



W. S INGLETON, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.-

Letters Patent No. 74,618, dated February 18, 1868. l

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.

.diti seam were ill in tlgta fitters ifitltlli ant muting wt at itstime.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN Be it known that I W. Y. SINGLETON, ofSpringfield, in the county of Sangamon, and State of Illinois, haveinvented anew and improved Bee-Hive; and l do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and

exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art'to make and use the same, reference being.

bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the lotter'sof reference markedthereon.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in theconstruction of bee-hives, and has for its object the wintering of thebees in a perfect manner, keepingthem warm and dry, to which end athorough ventilation of the hive is obtained, and due provision made forthe absorption of all moisture. In tho accompanying sheet of drawings AFigure 1 is a vertical central section of my invention.

Figure 2, an under view or an inverted plan of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

My improved bee-hive consists of four principal parts, A being the mainpart or body of the hive, B an air-chamber on which A rests, C anabsorbent bottom on which B rests, and D an absorbent top or lid. Thebody or main portion A may be constructed of the usual size, about afoot square internally. This part A is doubled walled, the space betweenbeing filled with any suitable non-conducting material, a, shown clearlyin fig. 1. The part B, which I term the air-chamber, has a recess, 6,cut in the centre of the under edge of its front side. This recessserves as an air-passage, and at the rear of the air-chamber there is aright-angular bee-entrance, E, which communicates with the body A bymeans of a groove or recess, 0, in the side of the body A above the top,g, ofjthe air-chamber. This recess is also extended below the top, g, atc, and covered with wire cloth to prevent the bees entering theair-passage c. The bottom, C, is a shallow box on which the airchamberrests. This bottom is composed of'a wooden frame, the sides ofwhich areequal in breadth to the double-walled main part A, and this frame has acloth or canvas bottom, 01, eecuredto it in any proper manner, the clothor canvas being supported by cross wires e.- On this cloth or canvas Iplace an absorbent materiahf. Dry-leached wood-ashes would answer anexcellent purpose.

The lid or top, D, is constructed like the bottom, provided with a clothor canvas bottom, g, with an. ahsorhout material, It, placed upon it.The bottom, (Land top or lid D absorbal-l moisture in the hive, andsufficient air allowed to pass through the top and bottom to evaporateor take up the moisture, while air is admitted into the hive through thepassages Ebc. The double wallsof the main partA of the hive, with thenonconducting filling,'render the hive warm, and keep the bees in ahealthy state during the winter-season.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The absorbent bottom G and lid'or top D,constructed and applied to the hive substantially in the manner as andfor the purpose set forth. I

2. v The air-chamber B with the air-passage E attached, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

I W. Y. SINGLETON.

Witnesses:

Penna Euetsnn, JAMES L. .AnAMs.

